Nicole’s Good News | June 2016

So, I did a ‘Nicole’s Good News’ as one of my very first posts (or my actual very first post) and apparently I haven’t thought of a better name, so we’re sticking with it.

Last time I mentioned that my role had been made permanent in my place of work, which was a relief as it was initially because it was temporary for a year and I had taken a risk leaving a permanent job (if you’re at all interested I’ll link it at the end of this post).

Anyway, after this good news we were told our department was expanding and they were recruiting new Casework Support (my current role) and new Caseworkers. A few months ago I applied for the position of Caseworker and was accepted, and I start tomorrow.

I am so nervous! I’m excited too, of course. Casework Support is similar to Admin but with extra responsibilities etc. I suppose is the best way to describe it. Before that I was an Administration Assistant (then worked up to being in charge of Administration for General Sales), before that I volunteered as a telephonist/receptionist and for data entry. Basically a lot of Admin roles and I’m nervous because this is the first time I’m doing a job unrelated to that field.

I’m excited because I was in desperate need for a new challenge. I like my job as Casework Support however, it became very much “OK, done. Anything else?” I became very familiar with it, which is good however, if there’s nothing new happening then personally it becomes – I’ll say it – tiresome.

I feel like my last job before this one prepared me for a lot. It prepared me to always be on my toes and never know what will happen from one day to the next and to always expect change. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t want this all the time. I just feel like if a job doesn’t challenge me then I’m not learning, that I’m just existing day-to-day. With no challenge there’s no excitement, and I think that’s why I’m really looking forward to the new role.

It is very different from what I’ve done in the past. I worry maybe too different however, I’m excited to take it on. To learn, to get excited when something goes right and frustrated when something goes wrong and then there’s the added element of having to fix it.

Maybe I’m strange, (scratch that we all know I’m a bit strange), but I really like problem solving. People have told me I’m quite chilled out, don’t get me wrong I can complain about a lot unintentionally, but it’s very rare you see me really angry or panicked about something.

I’m not 100% sure why I’m posting this, I suppose it’s when I look back I can see a little life update and be like “Oh yeah, this is how I felt before going into that job” and reflect.

But anyway, I’ll end with saying that as much as I appreciate the job I had before Casework Support it was definitely time to move on and so I took that risk to leave a permanent job that I knew inside out and go somewhere fixed-term for one year with the hope that we’d be extended. Now, from tomorrow, I’m a Caseworker. I’m not saying it’s changed my life because
a) I haven’t started it yet
b) I honestly haven’t figured out what I want to do for the rest of my life
What I will say is that I am very grateful for the opportunity and it’s crazy how much can change in a year.

We shall see, who knows I may do another update like “ABORT ABORT” but that’s not really my style. I’ll stay somewhere for a good while before doing something like that, on my own terms.